Bottom Of The Lake
by Fool of a Brandybuck
Summary: Merry wants to show Pippin there's nothing scary about swimming or water. While fishing on a raft, Pippin asks Merry if they'd ever have any adventures of their own, like Bilbo did... NO SLASH. MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH.


**This was my 1st every Lord of the Rings fanfiction, so I hope it's okay. _I understand that this type of story is not for everyone_! But if you do like it, please feel free to say something. I love tragic and sad endings, and I hope you do too... You've been warned. But i****f you don't understand why I write major character deaths in my stories, please read my profile page...**

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"I'm still not sure about this." Pippin told his cousin.

Merry was grinning wildly as he sat he feet over the edge of the raft, feeling the cool lake water settle around the top of his calves.

"There's nothing to be scared of, Pip. If you fall into the water, I promise I'll save you." Merry smiled at his cousin as he passed him one of the fishing rods.

"Promise?" Pippin repeated; still hesitant about placing his feet in the water.

Merry placed his hand onto Pippin's shoulder and his face became serious, looking him dead in the eyes, "Promise."

After a moment, Pippin finally unfolded his legs from their crossed position and carefully placed them over the edge of the floating raft; wincing when he thought he could feel himself slipping from the edge- Which he wasn't.

"It's alright, Pip. I've got you. You've nothing to be scared about." Merry held Pippin's elbow as reassurance to his younger cousin that he was indeed okay. "Nothing will happen with me around."

Pippin saw Merry splash and move his feet about under the water, which eased Pippin slightly, allowing him to realise he could actually move without danger of falling in.

Hobbits never liked water, swimming was not one of the things Hobbits were famous for, if at all. Food was their specialty, and Pippin often embraced that.

Merry was one of the rare lucky ones that quite liked swimming. His father was Master of Buckland and owned the Brandy Hall and since he also frequently used Bucklebury ferry, Merry was able to enjoy the best of both worlds. He would never let anything bad happen to Pippin; which is why Pippin, though hesitant, agreed to the fishing outing today.

Pippin held onto his fishing pole a little tighter as he twisted his body to throw the hook far into the lake. Merry did the same and for a few moments and they sat there in silence, enjoying the warm sun on their face as they looked out to the hills and beyond Hobbiton, into the far world.

"All the stories Bilbo tells," Pippin started as he stared at the far off mountains that were just visible, "Do you think we'll have any of our own?" He started slowly swinging his legs back and forth under water, as if he were sitting in a chair normally, "Any adventures to tell?"

Merry was impressed with Pippin's courage and he turned to him to wrapped an arm around Pippin's shoulder, "Ah, that's dangerous talk, that. It's the Took in you coming out would be proud." A smirk stretched across his face.

Pippin looked at Merry, a slight smile on his lips.

"Bilbo always said that it was the Tookish in him that persuaded him to leave The Shire. Many of the Took related family seem to leave The Shire at some point..." Pippin paused and looked away for a moment before a worried frown in his brow appeared.

"Do you think I'll leave one day?" He whispered, as if just saying it will cause him to disappear from his friends forever.

Merry caught the tone in Pippin's voice that he would be scared to go alone on an adventure."If you ever do, Pippin, I'll be right there with ya. And I'm sure Frodo's been itching to explore too. We could all go and have an adventure together!" He grinned as he told him.

Pippin's eyes suddenly lit up and his bad thoughts were instantly withdrawn. Just the thought of an adventure with his friends did indeed get his Tookish and adventurous mind going, and he thought of battling his own trolls and meeting the Elves and seeing a dragon.

"Oh, I don't think you'll see a dragon, Pip. They'd be long gone by now." Merry explained.

"What about the Elves?" Pippin asked excitedly.

Merry smiled wildly and nodded, "Aye, I think there are still plenty of Elves we could meet. Oh, and we'd have to meet Gandalf, and get him to do more magic tricks than just fireworks!"

"Yeah! And we could get our own swords and travel through forests!"

"Yeah, now we should defiantly have an adventure of our own!" Merry told him.

"Ah, I see the Tookish part in you is starting to come out too, Merry." Pippin smugly smiled at him.

"Well, I can't help it with all the talk of adventures!" Merry hugged Pippin the best he could with a fishing rod in his hands and he kissed his cousin's cheek, "Don't worry. I'll always be right here with you the whole way. I'll be with you to the end."

Although the raft was rocking from the sudden movement of his cousin's embrace, the hug calmed Pippin down tremendously. His body started to relax the muscles he didn't even know were tensed. Merry was truly he best friend.

But along with Merry pressing against him, the raft rocking and his body relaxing, he lost his balance and his bottom did actually slip off the edge of the boat, causing him to quickly fall quite deep into the lake.

Merry tried to keep old of him, though Pippin escaped his grasp. But without hesitation, Merry jumped in after him straight away, throwing the rod away in any direction before he did.

Merry's searching eyes came across Pippin, and he could see Pippin's own worrying eyes through the dark mucky water. Those worried green eyes yelled at Merry to help him. To save him.

Pippin seemed to sink quickly, more quickly than Merry could swim. Pippin frantically flapped and waved his arms about the best he could underwater with vests, jumpers and scarves on.

Merry felt they had been down under too long, and he struggled to catch up to Pippin. He could see Pippin's distraught and weary eyes start to slowly flutter close and that's when Merry used all of his might to grab Pippin's hand and pull him back to the surface as quickly as he could.

Merry pushed the now unconscious body atop the raft and he followed after it, gasping for air hurriedly before turning to Pippin, trying everything he could to wake him up.

The day after the next was Pippin's funeral. Merry almost felt he couldn't go though he knew he should. He felt by going to his best mate's funeral, he was accepting that Pippin was gone; and it was all his fault.

Merry buttoned up his yellow vest and left his hobbit hole, on his way to one of the most darkest and depressing events he'll ever go to.

The grave yard wasn't too far from Hobbiton, but he had never been or visited it; he had never needed too.

When Merry arrived, he saw that at least a quarter of the Shire was there. The Bagginses, the Tooks- of course- the Brandybucks and Gamgees as well as a few of the Proudfeets, Burrows and Boffins were there too.

Come the end of the funeral and with everyone leaving, Merry went up to the now freshly filled in hole and sat cross legged next to it.

"I'm sorry."

It was all he could manage before a lump in his throat appeared and a tear fell down his cheek.

"We never had that adventure."

He placed his hand on the small stone plaque that rested above the grave and stroked it. He could feel others' eyes on him, Frodo's and Sam's and probably Bilbo's and his father's too; he didn't want their sympathy or pity. He just wanted Pippin back. He'd give anything.

Merry looked through blurry eyes at the engraved name on the stone. _'Peregrin Took I – Son, brother, friend; loved by many.'_

After what felt like hours weeping at his dead cousin's grave, Merry finally was able to get energy to rise from his spot. He turned around to see only Frodo still at the bottom of the hill, waiting for him. The other's must've got tired of waiting for so long; but not dear Frodo.

Frodo knew what it was like to lose someone, especially to drowning.

Dragging himself towards his other deeply admired cousin, Merry collapsed in Frodo's arms and wept freely.

That night, Frodo looked out of his uncle's hobbit hole, out to the lake, and saw something by the moonlight.

A single lonely hobbit on the raft. Just Merry. And only Merry.


End file.
